The Augusta-Aiken community is reacting after a Black hospice caregiver was assaulted Monday outside an Aiken home in what she and a witness believe was a racially motivated attack.
The encounter prompted Aiken police to seek a warrant for a local man identified in video footage which was posted on TikTok. John Daniel Rosso, 79, of Aiken, was charged Monday with assault and battery in the third degree, a misdemeanor.
The victim, 25-year-old Jasmine Thomas, posted a video of the attack on Bellreive Drive with a caption that says, “Imagine being [on the way] to work and being followed to your job because of the color of your skin then assaulted.” She included hashtags with the phrases, “Racism Still Exists.”
Reaction was heavy on social media, with Johnnie Simmons saying Rosso should have been charged with a hate crime and a felony charge. Simmons said a $1,100 bond was much too low.
Wade Boyce added, “Should have also kept him for a mental evaluation …now she needs to get a protection order against him asap especially since she is a home care nurse.”
Both the victim and white witnesses believe the assault was a racially motivated attack, according to the Aiken Department of Public Safety.
At approximately 8:49 a.m. Monday, Officer J.O. Kincaid responded to a report of a disturbance on the 1100 block of Bellreive Drive. Officers found Thomas with visible swelling on her face. Thomas, who provides hospice care for a resident of the home, told officers she was attacked by an unidentified white male while arriving for work.
According to the incident report, Thomas said she had seen the man earlier parked on the side of the road speaking with a woman walking a dog. As she passed, he allegedly sped up behind her and followed her to the residence. She said he approached her vehicle, pounded on her window with such force she thought it would break, and then struck her in the face after she rolled it down. When she tried to exit, the man slammed the door on her, further injuring her.
Thomas said she fled from the car through the passenger side, but the man chased her through the yard, shouting, “You don’t belong here” and calling her a slur before hitting her again.
The white homeowner, Joseph Herring, ran outside after hearing screams and physically intervened, placing himself between Thomas and the attacker. Herring told officers he believed the incident was racially motivated and that Thomas had worked for his family for some time.
Both Thomas and Herring provided video evidence of the incident — from a Ring doorbell and a cellphone recording — which reportedly confirmed the account. Officers later identified the suspect as Rosso of a nearby house, based on video footage and vehicle registration linked to a black Volkswagen.
Thomas expressed fear for her safety and her children’s safety, stating she believed Rosso intended to kill her. She has pressed charges.
Officers were unable to reach Rosso at his residence but found him later and took him into custody.
Local resident Jan Clark weighed in on the story after it was shared online.
“I am glad to see that even a senior citizen has been arrested and needs to answer for his actions! Good,” she said. “That old man is still responsible for his nasty behavior. I never thought I’d call an old man, senior citizen, a punk, but he is.”
Added James Freeman, “Put him in a cell with multiple people and let them know why he’s there. One week minimum.”
